AUTONEWS

IKEA Luvly: the electrified microcar that turns into a suitcase

If you are a fan of “do it yourself” and have a particular taste for following assembly instructions, then perhaps it is worth getting to know the Luvly O. It is not really an electric car, it will be more of a microcar or a quadricycle (2.70 m long, 1.53 m wide and 1.44 m high), and has the particularity of being inspired by the relationship between design, quality and price of IKEA products. But if you are already thinking about following a series of instructions and assembling this electric vehicle yourself, forget about “do it yourself”. It is a fact that Luvly O will not leave the factory rolling, but packaged, exactly as happens with products from the well-known Swedish furniture chain. But don't be fooled if you're already imagining yourself setting it up at home. For security reasons, this will not be the case. The idea is that, after making the online purchase, the box in which Luvly is packaged goes to a smaller, duly certified factory close to the buyer. Then, yes, it goes from a pile of components and screws to a vehicle capable of traveling on public roads.

This proposal is being developed by a startup that, like IKEA, is of Swedish origin. Speaking to CNN, the man who leads it, Håkan Lutz, did not hide the “inspiration” in the well-known furniture chain, assuming that the objective of Luvly O is to compete for a place in the market as an accessible and functional proposal, aimed mainly at traveling in a city environment. But, all this, without raising any doubts regarding safety standards. Hence the factory’s responsibility to ensure that there are no screws left – as sometimes happens in homemade assemblies…

According to the startup, the way the product leaves the factory and reaches the customer aims to help reduce the carbon footprint associated with maritime transport. “All aspects of Luvly O, from its materials to its production process, are aimed at minimizing its environmental impact”, reads the website of the Swedish company, based in Stockholm. An example of this is the bodywork, “made from a single lightweight material that does not require surface treatment” and which can go directly to recycling. Not that Luvly O doesn't have ambitions to have a long-lasting life. So much so that the brand ensures that you will be able to receive over-the-air (OTA) updates, so you can always take advantage of the latest software.

Promising to equal the passive protection of a small car, including including deformable zones (to absorb energy in the event of an impact), the Swedish car is still in the prototype development phase. But the expectation is that it will go into production – and then into the box – later this year.

Once assembled, perhaps its greatest asset lies in the fact that it allows for an easy change of batteries, two weighing 16 kg each, allowing you to continue your journey. With a maximum range of 100 km/h and a weight of less than 400 kg, the Luvly O advertises a consumption of 6 kWh/100 km, with the speedometer being able to point to 90 km/h at the limit. The price is €10,000.

by: Mundoquatrorodas